Blackberry-Lemon Scones

in Blackberries, Bread, Breakfast, Cherries & Berries, Citrus, Fruit, Lemon, Muffins and Scones

Blackberry Lemon Scones

Blackberry and lemon are two of those flavors that are great on their own but almost magical when paired together. The blackberry-lemon combo is in heavy rotation at breakfast, getting mixed into muffins, pancakes, and scones.

I tried to come up with a way to get blackberries into a scone without completely demolishing the berries in the process. I used my favorite scone base and then folded the blackberries into the center of the scone. There was far less damage to the berries than a previous attempt which was extremely delicious but poorly executed. I love it when mistakes are delicious enough to make breakfast for nearly a week 🙂

Blackberry Lemon Scones

A light, tender scone made with lemon and blueberries.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour (I used half white, half wheat pastry)
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 6 oz fresh blackberries
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp water
  • 2 Tbsp coarse sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt on low speed.
  3. With mixer running, gradually add cubes of butter and lemon zest until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour - butter bits about the size of small peas.
  4. Add lemon juice and 3/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix by hand just until all ingredients are incorporated. If dough is too dry to hold together, use remaining buttermilk, adding a couple tablespoons at a time, until dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball.
  5. Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a lighter-textured scone.
  6. Remove dough from bowl and place it on a lightly floured flat surface.
  7. Pat dough into a rectangle. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten dough into a rectangle about 12x8 inches.
  8. Spread the fresh blackberries over the long of the dough and fold the short half over onto the top of the blackberries. (I reserved a few blackberries to lightly press into the top of the formed scones.)
  9. Cut into 8 triangles.
  10. Whisk egg and water in a small mixing bowl to combine.
  11. Brush each wedge with egg wash.
  12. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
  13. Place scones on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle.

Notes

Yields: 8 large scones

Adapted from The Pastry Queen

Estimated time: 40 minutes

20 comments… add one
  • I love the combo of lemon and blackberries! These scones look wonderful.

  • Awesome flavor combo here! I love making scones, but haven’t in quite awhile…

  • These look amazing. I love blackberry and lemon together.

  • I stocked up on blackberries last week when they were on sale. This looks like a perfect opportunity to bake with some of them!

  • These look fabulous, the blackberries have been so good the last few weeks I can imagine how great these taste together.

  • Oooh yes please! These scones look amazing…perfect summer flavors!

  • I just made blueberry scones the other day, but these look even better! Your pictures are phenomenal!

  • My mouth is watering just looking at these-yum! I love your photo!

  • penandra

    I love the technique of folding the berries into the middle of the scone, rather than trying to mix them in and winding up with blue/purple scones — this works well with fresh blueberries also!

    A technique that I saw on America’s Test Kitchen that I tried when I made scones last week, and that worked really well (for me), was to melt the butter and then pour it into the ice cold buttermilk, then stir those into the dry ingredients . . . it made delightfully tender scones that could be all hand mixed without having to cut in the butter (the butter hardens into little bits in the ice cold buttermilk).

  • I’m totally on a scone kick right now. I’ve made blueberry and strawberry so far, so I can’t wait to try these. And bonus, I think blackberries are on sale this week!!

  • I’ve never tried blackberries and lemon together, but I am a lemon girl so I like the sound of this. Plus I am an avid scone eater!! This is bookmarked! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  • Sheri

    This made me smile this morning because I had just made lemon blueberry scones this morning…I love people who love to cook like I do!

  • Rather than call it a mistake, I’d go with “happy accident”. These look fabulous!

  • I love blackberries and lemon together, and I think these look fabulous!

  • Blackberries were never something I worked with until this summer and suddenly I’m looking for any excuse to use them! These look wonderful!

  • uuu lovely !! I love the addition of lemon .. Could I use oil instead of butter ?

  • This recipe is so beautiful and fresh! I’m loving anything lemon flavored lately!!

  • Jerry

    No commenters have mentioned that lemon zest is mentioned twice in the instructions (#’s 3 & 4), but lemon juice is not mentioned at all. Which is supposed to be juice?

    • Step 4.

      • Mary Maneen

        Wow! These are simply fabulous. Made them this morning and I can’t stop eating them. The suggestion one commenter made about melting the butter and adding the cold buttermilk to it was GENIUS. Texture was perfect and I was able to do the whole thing, easily, by hand. I’m excited to try this again, as well the folding the dough over the fruit…another GENIUS suggestion. Two thumbs up!

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